Hans Christian Andersen Awards 2004

The Andersen Jury of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) announces that Martin Waddell(Ireland) is the winner of the 2004 Hans Christian Andersen Author Award and Max Velthuijs(The Netherlands) is the winner of the 2004 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration.

The awards were presented to the winners at the opening ceremony of IBBY’s Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.

In choosing Martin Waddell as the winner of the author award, the jury has paid tribute to the remarkable perception, compassion and warmth of this prolific writer. Waddell writes for young people of all ages with simplicity, empathy and respect: he recognizes and articulates the complexities of ordinary lives and illustrates the need of those lives to be protected and understood.

Max Velthuijs is a brilliant storyteller and artist whose lifetime dedication to children’s literature has been recognized by the jury. Velthuijs has proven many times over that he understands children: their doubts, fears and exhilarations. His books are little jewels of image and text that come together to comfort children and reassure them as they venture out into the world around them. Sadly, Max Velthuijs passed away on 25 January 2005.